Simple acts of kindness can go a long way in helping to brighten someone's day.
Here are some of my favorites:

-Call up an old friend
-Give someone a compliment
-Pick up trash
-Send a handwritten note
-Volunteer
-Hold the door open for someone else
-Say please and thank you
-Donate your items to others who need it more than you
-Walk your neighbor's dog
-Cook dinner for someone
-Donate food to a food bank
-Give someone a genuine smile (this is definitely a Midwestern thing!)
-Pick up someone's bill at the drive through
-Help out a friend or family member with their chores
-Offer your talents to someone for free

"There's this idea that if you know your passion, you'll have a road map for life. When people talk about being successful, having life well lived, it always comes back to knowing their one great purpose. What happens when you don't have a passion, or maybe you just haven't found it yet?

As a person, I feel like I have a lot of passions. I love helping people, I aspire to write every day, I adore my time in civil service. All of these things and so much more fill my heart, but they don't lead me to knowing my one true calling.

This need to know has filled my life with anxiety and stress as I constantly search for my great big thing. How can I ever live my best life when I don't know who I'm supposed to be? I would bet that you too have had similar thoughts. I'd imagine you've sat down and tallied all of your favorite things, considered each bullet point as if it would make or break your career. Maybe you've felt like a failure because you just can't seem to sort your way through the issue. But listen to this: I don't think we're made to do just one thing. God, or fate, or even just the universe didn't put us all here to be one single thing for the world.

If we were made to do one thing, what would be the point in creating a human experience willed with millions of different memories? You're capable of doing everything you've ever set your mind to because the world needs you to do all sorts of things. Even if you don't know your one true passion, there is still space for you to find a home. One day while you're on the road discovering who you are, you might even find you're great big calling. When you do, be sure to find me and tell me where you're going next."

"WORK ON BEING IN LOVE WITH THE PERSON IN THE MIRROR WHO HAS BEEN THROUGH SO MUCH BUT IS STILL STANDING." -Unknown

I'm proud to present my first guest article for my Year of Passion. Each month I'll be either interviewing or have a guest write an article for US. I hope you enjoy reading about Aleshia's passion for water as much I as did!

"I am 30 year old Customer Service Rep who is introverted, quiet and strongly dislikes human interaction most of the time. This has been my career since 2011. So you would think that my job is not compatible with my personality. I did struggle the first couple of years. My boss was constantly giving me pointers to "speak up", "be more confident in what you say", "remember to look people in the eyes when speaking face to face" and everyone's favorite "you need to smile more". But I am grateful for his patience and his time. I am one of the few people who can honestly say that I love my job. Because of my love for all things water and outdoors, I am able to connect and open up with people/customers. I can talk with people about kayaking for hours. Hull designs, paddle blade shape, life vest fittings, for some reason all of these things are fascinating to me.

There's something about being on or in the water that is empowering to me. My college English professor once told me that the way I talk about water was like a religion. It's where I go to clear my head, meditate, cleanse my soul. There is not a living a thing on this planet that doesn't need water to survive. Water is not only full of life, but it IS life. I have often compared life to a river. Sometimes it’s fast and fun, or dangerous and scary, or slow and peaceful. Occasionally you might get caught up in life's snags, but the river of life will be persistent in moving you forward. Persistence is the key to life, and water demonstrates this by cutting through rock.

I couldn't tell you exactly when I first started kayaking. My dad took me a few times when I was probably around 10 years old. Of course within 6 months of working at Paddlesports Warehouse I had bought my first kayak. And it's all downhill from there. I now own 3 kayaks and 1, soon to be 2, paddle boards. I have no plans of stopping at 3 kayaks. But at least for now I have most water types covered. I have my slow river recreation kayak (Jackson Riviera), My lake kayak (Wildy Pungo 120), and the newest addition is my river runner kayak (Dagger Mamba 7.6). I haven't yet mastered the art of whitewater kayaking, mostly because there is very little whitewater in Michigan. But every year I get a little closer.

Stand up Paddle Boarding has been gaining popularity within the past couple years. I recently caved and bought an inflatable SUP. I decided to go with an inflatable because I have a very tiny car and because I have a dog that goes everywhere with me. The SUP board gets 2 paws up from Stella. She is much more relaxed on the board as compared to the kayak. The biggest advantage to the SUP is the views; watching fish and other wildlife on the river is much easier than in a kayak.

Winters in Michigan are hard for paddlers. It's very difficult to find cold weather paddling gear here. If you are able to find some you still may need an icebreaker in order to float. Therefore most of us just sit inside and count the days till its paddling season again. We spend about half of our life just waiting for summer. Once summer is here you will find me on the water, at the very least, once a week. Rain, storm or shine, my friends and I are die-hard paddlers, and it is ALWAYS an adventure. Whether we miss our take out spot or realize at the take out spot that I left the keys a mile up river on a riverbank, it's always a good time.

One of the wonderful things about kayaking is how dynamic it is. You can leisurely paddle a calm lake or you adrenaline junkies can get your fill in whitewater rivers. Let's not forget that paddling is also a great work out with a lot of health benefits.

A couple years ago I started a River Bucket List. For now it consists of mostly west Michigan rivers that I would like to explore. In the future I will start adding out of state rivers. I don't just enjoy kayaking local rivers and lakes. I love snorkeling as well. The serene underwater sounds is much more peaceful than the hustle and bustle of everyday life. There is so much more to explore and discover underwater than there is above the surface."

I think it's important for us to stop and do some self-reflection every once in awhile. Why not start your self-reflection for the new year? Here are questions that I use with clients to help them get to know themselves better.

If you want to go one step more, write down and keep your answers. It's always interesting to go back and see how much you've grown!

-What does your perfect day look like?-What inspires you to do better?-If you could change one thing about the world, what would it be?-What scares you the most?-Who is someone you admire? Why?-What are some of your strengths?-What are some new activities you've been too afraid to try?-Where do you feel safest?-What color describes you? Why?-What are your most important values?-How do you show yourself self-compassion?-What are your short term goals?-What are you long term goals?-Do I challenge myself constantly? -Are you a morning person or a night owl?-When someone comes to you for help, what do they normally come to you for?-What are you self-conscious about?
Simply Yours,

"...I hope you will have a wonderful year, that you'll dream dangerously and outrageously, that you'll make something that didn't exist before you made it, that you will be loved and that you will be liked, and that you will have people to love and to like in return. And, most importantly (because I think there should be more kindness and more wisdom in the world right now), that you will, when you need to be, be wise, and that you will always be kind."

Build a snowman
Go sledding
Bundle up and go on a walk
Make a gingerbread house
Volunteer
Drive around and look at the lights
Make snow angels
Make ice bubbles
Have a snowball fight
Have a pj day (even better with warm, cozy socks!)
Make some paper snowflakes
Adopt a family or a person for the holidays (if you're financially able)
Catch snowflakes on your tongue
Go ice skating

About me

Welcome! I'm Allis L. Mazur, and I'm the wordsmith behind Untangled Simplicity. This is where I share my passion of living a life of minimalism and simplicity. Ever since I became a minimalist a few years ago, I've discovered that my life is much brighter than I ever thought it could be.

Besides working on this blog, I'm a licensed therapist, a certified life coach, and an all around creative gal. I find inspiration from everyday moments and enjoy helping others improve their lives. I look forward to hearing from you!